Liberal promise to set strict rules for unpaid interns pushed to 2019
OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau’s Liberals won’t make good on their vow to crack down on unpaid internships until next year — almost four years after the issue first landed on the federal government’s agenda.
In the 2017 budget, the Liberals promised to eliminate unpaid internships in federally regulated workplaces — the only exception being student placements required as part of a school course. Interns would be treated like regular employees, with the same work hours and under the same safety regulations.
Officials now say it will be fall of 2019 — right when the next federal election is expected — when they unveil the final set of regulations, at which time those groups pushing for an end to unpaid internships will find out when the rules come into force.
Cabinet will have the final say on when the rules come into effect.